Winding device



Oct. 14, 1941. R, J. BARTHOLOMEW 2,259,364

. WINDING DEVICE Filed Feb. 21, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 14, 1941. R, J, BARTHOLOMEW 2,259,364-

WINDING DEVICE Filed Feb. 21, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1941. R. J. BARTHOLOMEW- 2,259,364

WINDING DEVICE Filed Feb. 21, 1940 4 Shee'hs-Sheetv 5 552/- Mr- !52 filerjffimm JWMWW 1941. R. J. BARTHOLOMEW 2,259,364

WINDING DEVICE Filed Feb. 21, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Oct. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDING DEVICE Robert J. Bartholomew, Philadelphia, Pa.,' assignor to Fletcher Works, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application February 21, 1940, Serial No. 320,206

6 Claims. (01. 242-26) This invention relates to winding devices for textile filaments, threads or yarns, and particularly to that type of winding device which lays a thread in widely spaced convolutions, first in one direction and then in the opposite direction, along the length of the package being wound, to form what is commonly known as a cross- Wound package.

Usually in devices of the type above noted, a bobbin, tube or cone, etc. which is to formthe' core or base element of a yarn package is mounted in a manner to permit it to rotate and is re siliently pressed, throughout its length, by gravitational, spring or weight means against the peripheral face of a rotating drum for rotating the core element, and subsequently the package built thereon, at the samesurface speed as the drum. The thread is first laid back and forth on the core element and thereafter on the outersurface of the gradually enlarging body element of the package composed of successively laid thread convolutions, by a traversing guide.

The package-driving drum and the traversing guide, in all instances prior to the present invention, have been driven from a common source of power at constant relative speeds, so that the guide would make one complete reciprocation, back and forth along the length of the package, for each of a predetermined number of revolutions of the drum regardless of the diameter of the package. As the package became larger in diameter, it increased in circumferential measurement accordingly. As the diameter of the package increased its number of complete revo lutions for each revolution of the drum decreased proportionately; and as the number of revolutions of the package decreased with respect to the number of revolutions of the drum, while the relative speeds of the drum and the traverse guide remained constant, the pitch or spacing of the convolutions of the thread being laid on the outer surface of the package became greater.

For example, assuming that a package four inches-long is being wound on a core two inches in diameter, with the thread convolutions one inch apart when winding on the core is begun, the traverse will move at such a speed in rela tion to the surface speed of the core as to lay four complete turns or convolutions of the thread on the core, along the length of package, Whereas in the finished package of four inch diameter, under the same conditions, the thread will make but two complete convolutions from end to end of the package; thus, as the number of convolutions becomes smaller the spacing between the characteristics which become evident in subsequent handling and/or subsequent processing of the yarn package.

The object of the present invention is to construct a winding device wherein the thread laying guide or eyewill be actuated solely by the rotations of the package itself, through a re tatablesupport in the form of an arbor, mandrel, etc. on which the core of the package is mounted and a train of gears or other suitable operating ;mechanism, whereby the speed of travel of the thread laying guide will decrease progressively as the diameter of the package increases, and whereby the number of convolutions from end to end of the package will remain constant, throughout the entire package, from the core element to the outermost surface of the thread or body element of the package and effect complete uniformity in the package.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a face view of a preferred form of the device constructed and operated in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

Fig. 2' is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 33, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the units of which the traversing cam is composed;

Fig. 5 is a detached perspective view' of the elements of the traversing or thread laying guide;

Fig. 6 is a detached perspective view of the rotatable core support;

Fig. 7 is a detached'perspective view of the pivoted frame in which the core support is re tatably mounted; and

Figs. 8, 9, and 10 illustrate variations within the scope of the invention. I

It will be understood that the following description relates to but a single winding head or unit in a twisting and/or winding machine which may include any desired number of such units. The machine as a whole embodies the usual framework for supporting the several winding units and the driving mechanism for the drums, spindles and other moving parts thereof. As the framework and driving mechanisms are of usual construction well known to those familiar with the art they are not shown in the present drawmgs.

In the present case, an ordinary cork faced versely extending arms 5 and 5 respectively. The

arms 5 and 5 are rigidly connected by a longitudinally extending back bar I.

At the outer end of each of. the arms 5 and 5 is a head 8 which is slotted inwardly from one which latter projects outwardly from the carrier 38 at one side of the pivot 31. A counterbalance 39 projecting outwardly from the carrier 38 at the opposite side of the pivot 31 retains the guide 40 in light contact with the outer surface of the tube :0 or with the outer surface of the super-wound package X, as the case may be.

In the present instance, a thread y passes from a spool or other supply a through an eye 4! of a fiyer 42, which latter is mounted above the uppermost flange of said spool and rotates edge thereof, as indicated at 9, for the reception,

and support of a rotatable spindle l0. Secured to the spindle 10, intermediate the arms 5 and 5, is a barrel H, which is adapted to receive and support a core element in the form of a perforated tube a: in the present instance, on which the body of a package of yarn X is to be wound.

Relative rotation between the barrel H and the core tube a: may be prevented by any suitable means common in the art, for example, the barrel ll may be longitudinally grooved, as in.- dicated at I2, l2, for the reception of bow springs I3 which exert pressure radially outward against the inner surface of the core tube at, whereby said tube and said barrel will rotate in unison.

The outer surface of the'tube x is resiliently pressed into engagement with the outer surface of the drum I by two springs [5,. in the present instance. The springs [-5 respectively encircle toggle rods l6. Each toggle rod [6 is provided with a ball head 11, at one end, which is adapted to fit into a concaved-socket l8 formed in the back bar I of the frame 4. One side of the ball head IT provides an abutment IQ for one endofthe spring 15. The opposite end of each spring l5 bears against a washer or plate 20,

which also encircles the toggle rod. l5 and bears against the inner surface 2| of a stationary bar 22. The bar 22 is secured to or forms part of the framework of the machine. Each toggle rod 16 projectsthrougha bearing opening 23 formed in the stationary support 22. The opposite, ends of the opening 23 flare outwardly in opposite di rections from the central portion of said opening toward the opposite faces of the support 22,

to provide clearance for the projecting end of the toggle rod tit-during operations of the device as hereinafter described.

' On' onejendof the spindle H), outside the arm 5, is secured a gear 25. The gear 25 meshes with a gear 26 which is rotatably mounted on a stud'21- The stud 21 is'secured in and projects laterally from the arm 5. Secured to: the gear 26 is. a pinion 28 which meshes with a gear 29. The gear 29 is secured to one end of a sleeve shaft 30, which is rotatably mounted onthe rod 3 and is journalled in bearings 31, 3| formed onthe arms 5 and 6 respectively.

Secured to the sleeve shaft 30, intermediate the arms 5 and 6, is a cam cylinder 32, in the peripheral surface of which is formed a cam groove 33'. A cam follower 34,, operating in the cam groove 33, is carried by and projects from a carriage or rider'35. The rider 35 is slidably mounted in or on a rail 35' having its opposite ends secured in the: arms 5' and 5 respectively of the rocking frame 4.

Pivotally connected at 31 to the rider 35 is a carrier 38 for the-traversing thread: guide 40,

framework of the machine.

freely around the vertical post or spindle 43 on which the spool z is mounted. From the eye 4| the thread y passes to an eye 44, which is secured to a stationary bar 45 carried by the rigid From the eye 44 the thread 1 passes to the package traversing thread guide 40 and is laid thereby against the outer surface of the tube at.

As shown in Fig. 1, the cam groove 33 is formed to produce a single reciprocation of the rider 35, and consequently the traversing guide 40, lengthwise of the tube a: for each complete revolution of the gear 29; and the ratio of the train of gears 29, 28, 25, 25 is such, in the present instance, as to require substantially seven revolutions of the gear 25 for each revolution of the gear 29. This train of gears is operated exclusively by frictional contact of the tube a), or

the outer surface of the package X, with the peripheral surface of the drum l, i. e., the drum l frictionally drivesv the tube a; or package X and produces rotation of the spindle H). The spindle ill, in turn, effects rotation of the gear 25 and the gear 25 rotates the gear 26. The gear 28, being securedto the gear 26, rotates in unison therewith and drives the gear 29 which, in turn, through thesleeve shaft 3|, effects rotation of the camcylinder 32.

As the cam groove 33 is'formed to produce a single reciprocation of the guide 49 for each revolution of the gear 29, it follows that, with a ratio of substantially one-to-seven between the gears 25 and- 29, the cam cylinder 32 receives but one complete rotation for each seven rotations of the gear 25, and this ratio enduresconstantly, regardless of the diameter to which the package X may be built, and remains constant throughout the building of the package from the core tube a; to the outer surface of the package X. Thus, regardless of the diameter of the package the traversing guide 40 makes but one complete reciprocation for each seven complete or substantially complete revolutions of the package X about the axis of the spindle H and consequently the spacing or pitch of the convolutions' yl of the thread y remains constant at all times. Therefore, the package is uniformly wound from its core to its outer surface.

In order to cause each succeeding convolution yl to lie side by side, in lateral abutting relation to each corresponding convolution previously laid by the guide Ml, instead of lying directly on top of such corresponding convolution, the gear ratio above mentioned is slightly off a straight seven-to-one ratio, 1. e. slightly greater or slightly less, in the present instance, the latter. For example, the package X makes 6.99 revolutions to one revolution of the cam cylinder 32 and in this way the package is built with corresponding convolutions laid in lateral abutting relation to each other, which in the aggreate produces a solid uniformly wound package throughout its entirety.

When the winding of a package is first begun, and the outer surface of the tube a: is bearing against the peripheral surface of the drum I, the centers or of the ball heads I! of the toggle rods l6 and the coinciding centers of the sockets H! in which said balls are mounted, lie below a line b--b passing through the pivotal center of the rocking frame 4 and the centers of the openings 23 in the fixed support 22 through which the free ends of the toggle rods "5 project. Thus, the springs l5 tend to hold the tube :17 resiliently in contact with the face of the drum I. As the package X increases in diameter the centers at approach the line b-b and when the package X attains a predetermined diameter, the centers a lie on the line b-b. Building of the package beyond this point causes further rocking of the frame 4 and a consequent movement of the centers a into a position above the line b-b; whereupon the toggle effect produced between the frame 4 and the rods [6 becomes effective through the springs E5 to rock the frame 4 about the axis of the rod 3 until the upper edge of the back bar I of said frame comes into contact with an adjustable stop 50 carried by the fixed support 22, for example, at which time the outer surface of the wound package X is moved out of contact with the peripheral face of the drum I, stopping rotation thereof and consequently stopping traversing movement of the guide 40 as a result of stoppage of the train of gears between the spindle l and the cam cylinder 32 by which such traversing of the guide 40 is effected.

The wound package may then be removed by raising the spindle l0 through and out of the bearing slots 9 in the arms and 6 until the package is free from the frame 4, whereupon the wound package may be readily removed from the barrel H and a fresh tube a: placed thereon, after which the spindle Ill may be replaced in the bearing slots 9 and the frame 4 rocked in an opposite direction to bring the surface of the new tube into contact with the face of the drum l.

Manual rocking of the frame may be effected through a handle 52 formed on or carried by one or the other of the arms 5 and 6.

In rocking the frame 4 in the manner noted, the centers 0. are returned to winding position below the line bb and the springs l5 function to maintain the tube a: resiliently in driving contact with the surface of the drum I, in the manner previously described.

As a matter of convenience, the cam cylinder 1 32 may be formed of two identical parts, constructed as shown in Fig. 4, with a central hub portion 53 substantially half the length of the assembled cylinder 32 and an outer portion formed integral with the inner portion and comprising a pointed appendage overhanging the end 54 of the hub portion 53 and a cavity 55 of similar shape overlying the hub portion 53 at the opposite side of the hub end 54. By placing the two elements in axial alignment with each other, with the appendage of one in alignment with the cavity of the other, and with the end surfaces 54, 54 of the two units in abutting relation to each other, the edges 33a of said appendages will lie opposite the edges 33b of said cavities and coordinately produce the cam groove 33 in the outer surface of the cam cylinder 32. In order to retain this relationship the two units may be setscrewed in place on the sleeve shaft 3| or have a driving-fit thereon.

As a result of the present invention many manufacturing advantages and economies are effected. For example, under ordinary yarn producing processes a single thread is drawn from a skein on a reel and wound onto a preliminary bobbin in an ordinary winding machine. This preliminary bobbin'is then, in some instances, placed on the spindle of a regular twisting machine and wound onto a secondary bobbin to give the thread a predetermined number of turns per inch, 1. e. upwards to eighty turns to the inch.

In other instances, a plurality of preliminary bobbins are placed on a doubling or duplex machine and the threads from the several bobbins are twisted together, by a ring twister, to approximately three turns to the inch, as an example, as these threads are rewound on an intermediate bobbin, preparatory to these intermediate bobbins being placed on the spindles of a regular twister for rewinding onto the secondary bobbin, at upwards to eighty turns to the inch, as above noted.

The twisted yarn or thread, in either of the above cases, is then rewound onto what is known as a take-up bobbin, or steaming shaft for processing, to set the twist in the yarn. These particular bobbins are expensive, costing approximately fifty cents each in lots of large numbers. The yarn or'thread on these fsetting bobbins is ready for distribution to consumers, or for dyeing etc. directly after completion of the setting operation. However, due to the cost of the setting bobbins, the set yarn must be rewound on a less expensive bobbin, cone, spool or other core for shipping of the ultimate yarn packages.

Normally the winding and rewinding of the thread or yarn during the operations up to and including setting are of the straight type, i. e. like sewing thread on a spool, and only in the rewinding from the setting bobbin to the ultimate package is the thread or yarn given a cross-wind.

By use of the present invention, in conjunction with the spindles of a regular twister, the single or doubled thread or yarn may be cross-wound from the secondary bobbins, directly into an ultimate package on an inexpensive shipping core of a kind which will withstand the setting operation, thus eliminating, first, the cost of the expensive setting bobbins above referred to, and secondly, the cost of rewinding the thread from the setting bobbin onto the core of the ultimate package.

Toward the last said end, and. as shown in Fig. 8, the post 43 on which the spool 2 is mounted may constitute one of the rotating spindles of an ordinary twister. The spindle 53 may be rotated at a predetermined number of revolutions per minute through a pulley secured to the spindle 43 and making contact with the usual drive belt 6!, commonly employed in twisting machines. Therefore, with the thread y being Wound at a predetermined number of feet per minute on the package X and with the spool 21 traveling at a predetermined number of R. P. M. the thread 1 will get a predetermined number of turns per inch as it is wound on the package X.

As shown in Fig. 8, the pivot point of the frame 4a in which the various operating elements of the units are supported, is shifted from coinciding relation to the axis of rotation ofthe shaft 31a for the traverse cam cylinder 32a to a point remote thereto, as indicated at 3a. The arms 5a and 6a areeach provided with an extension 65.

Adjacent these extensions are bracket 61 which are secured at -their inner'ends to-the rigid sup-- port 22a or other fixed part of the framework of the machine. A pivot,- bolt or stud 66 secured in one and projecting into the outer of the extensions and adjacent brackets provides the necessary pivotal support for the rockable frame 4a.

In Fig; 9, thepivotal-support 3b for the frame dbismounted above the driving drum lb in re;- mote relationship to the axis of the shaft 3lb of the traversecam 32b, in brackets 611) secured to a fixed part 68 of the machine.

In Figs. 9 and 10 the traversing thread guide 40b is provided with a longitudinally extending bearing portion 10 which, when the package X! attains a predetermined diameter, as shown in Figs. 9 and '10:, lifts the guide eye H off the outer surface of the package. As the package increases indiameter the distance between the eye H andpackage surface increases and as the eye H reciprocates the full length of the package the change in direction of the travel of the guide causes the thread y to swing at the point t where itis. held against the surface of the package by the nip of the portion 1! in spaced relation to the adjacent end of the package and produces tapered'end X2, X2, thereon.

Obviouslythe structures above described may bevaried in detail without departingfrom the spirit'of the invention, which, as noted above, resides in driving thetraversing thread guide by the package at a constant speed ratio with respect-to the rotations of the package regardless of the diameter attained by the package, For example, the train of gears between the package mandrel and the traverse cam maybe located inside the arms of the rocking frame and may be supplanted by'chains and sprockets, belts-spiral or bevel gears and shafts etc, to maintain any desired ratio between the two, or the cam cylin der may be supplanted by a double reversely cut screw with the traversing guide carried by a nut adapted to travel on and be moved in opposite directions alternately by such reversing mecha- IliSIIl i The tubes :1: on which the thread y is wound are preferably composed of vulcanized fibre or the like which can be purchased in lots for ap proximately one-thirtieth the cost of the high priced setting bobbins noted above. Any suit able material may be used which will withstand the temperature of the steam necessary to set the twist in the yarn or thread of the package wound thereon, or the temperature ofthe dye stuff employed when the complete packages X are dyed or bleached in the ordinary package dyeing or bleaching machines or processes, wherein the liquor is first passed under pressure into the cores as, through the perforations thereof to and through the body of yarn wound thereon, to discharge into the pressure sealed tank in which the packages are mounted, after which the circulation is reversed, causing the liquor to enter the packages from the outside thereof and leave through the perforated cores :1: under influence of the circulating pump of the processing machine.

I claim:

1. A thread winding device comprising a rockable frame, a package support rotatably mounted in said frame, a thread guide reciprocably mounted in said frame for movement lengthwise of said support in a plane parallel to the peripheral surface of an incomplete thread package carried by said support, an actuating element rotatably mounted in said frame for reciprocating said guide, driving mechanism operativelyconnecting said support with said actuating element whereby rotation of said support effects reciprocation of said guide, a rotary drum, and toggle means for rocking said frame in onedirection to efiect contact between said peripheral face of said thread package or its core andthe peripheral face of said drum for effecting rota tion of said support from said drum through said contact solely and for rocking said frame in the opposite direction to break said contact when said package attains a predetermined diameter.-

2. A thread-winding device comprising a rockable frame including a pair of laterally spaced rigidly connected arms, a package-supporting barrel and a traverse actuating cam mounted insaid. frame between said arms, a train of gears supported on one of said arms and operatively' connecting said barrel and said cam with one gear of the train rigidly connected to said bar rel in axial alignment therewith, and a pair of open bearings respectively carried by said arms and rotatably supporting said barrel adjacent its opposite ends respectively and said aligned gear for readily removing said barrel and gear from said frame completely and for readily replacing said barrel and gear in said frame in changing packages onsaid barrel and during said package changing said gear is disengaged from and reengage'd With an adjacent gear of said train.

3. A thread-winding device comprising a rock-- able frame including a pair of laterally spaced rigidly connected arms each having a transverse slot open at one side of the arm, a spindle rotatably mounted in the bases of said slots, a package-supporting barrel secured to said spindle intermediate said arms, a traverse actuating cam rotatably mounted in said frame about an axis parallel to and spaced laterally from the axis of said spindle, and a train of gears carried by one of said arms and operatively connecting said cam and said barrel, with one gear of the train rigidly connected to said barrel in axial alignment therewith for disengagement from and reengagement with an adjacent gear of said train during removal of said spindle from and replacement of said spindle in said slots when changing packages on said barrel.

4. A thread-winding device comprising, a rotary drum, a rockable frame including a pair of laterally spaced rigidly connected arms each having a transverse slot open at one side of the arm, a spindle rotatably mounted in the bases of said slots, a package-supporting barrel secured to said spindle intermediate said arms for pressing the package into contact with the drum, a traverse actuating cam rotatably mounted in said frame about an axis parallel to and spaced laterally from the axis of said spindle, a train of gears'carried by one of said arms and operatively connecting said cam and said barrel, with one gear of the train rigidly connected to said barrel'in axial alignment therewith for disengagement from and reengagement with an adjacent gear of said train during removal of said spindle from and replacement of said spindle in said slots when changing packages on said barrel, and means for retaining said spindle in the bases of said bearing slots during contact of the package with the drum.

5. Athread-winding device comprising, a rotary drum, a rockable frame including a pair of laterally spaced rigidly connected arms each having a transverse slot open at one side of the arm,

a spindle rotatably mounted in the bases of said slots, a package-supporting barrel secured to said spindle intermediate said arms for pressing the package into contact with the drum, atraverse actuating cam rotatably mounted in said frame about an axis parallel to and spaced laterally from the axis of said spindle,atrain of gears carried by one of said arms and operatively connecting said cam and said barrel, with one gear of the train rigidly connected to said barrel in axial alignment therewith for disengagement from and reengagement with an adjacent gear of said train during removal of said spindle from and replacement of said spindle in said slots when changing packages on said barrel, and complementary resilient means for rocking said frame and said package support toward said drum for maintaining the package in contact with the drum.

6. A thread-winding device comprising, a rotary drum,va rockable frame including a pair of laterally spaced rigidly connected arms each having a transverse slot open at one side of the arm nearest to said drum, a spindle rotatably mounted in the bases of said slots, a packagesupporting barrel secured to said spindle intermediate said arms for pressing the package into contact with the drum, a traverse actuating cam rotatably mounted in said frame about an axis parallel to and spaced laterally from the axis of said spindle, a train of gears carried by one of said arms and operatively connecting said cam and said barrel, with one gear of the train rigidly connected to said barrel in axial alignment therewith for disengagement from and reengagement with an adjacent gear of said train during removal of said spindle from and replacement of said spindle in said slots when changing packages on said barrel, and complementary resilient means for rocking said frame and package support toward said drum to maintain said contact between the package and the drum and to retain 20 said spindle in the bases of said bearing slots.

ROBERT J. BARTHOLOMEW. 

